Second Law, Part I: Instinct by Lizzy Suderman

Book review

The Office of Strategic Services, the American espionage agency during World War II, was disbanded in 1945 and later replaced by the CIA…officially.

Unofficially, a small subcommittee tasked with the more scientifically fantastical aspects of the war (including the atomic bomb) survived.

In modern day North Carolina, Tayte Bridges is a small town auto mechanic with a nagging urge for adventure and a worthless physics degree--until a case of mistaken identity entangles her in the secret world of espionage. And once there it seems her ties to this shadowy world are deeper than she imagined.

Tayte finds herself in a clandestine society held delicately in balance. The scientific wing of the OSS has been quietly thwarting evil schemes for years. But now, for the first time, their two main adversaries are simultaneously preparing to mold the world as they see fit. One organization plans to manipulate an obscure medieval disease in order to return man to his primitive nature. While another group--scientists who trace their roots to Werner Heisenberg, head of the Nazi atomic program--wants to bring science and logic to prominence at the cost of all else.

In this character driven interlocking narrative, Tayte Bridges and her new colleagues must infiltrate both groups to prevent the destruction of the human soul. As they struggle to save the world they must also face issues regarding the role of science in society, the meaning of humanity, the nature of heroism, and the limits of memory.